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🇮🇸 Iceland /Health & Science

Everyone has been very understanding

From Morgunblaðið · () Icelandic

Translated from Icelandic and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Approved/passed
  • Iceland's Blood Bank said operations have gone well since new blood-donation rules took effect at the start of the month.
  • The rules apply the same criteria regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
  • Eligibility now depends on an individual risk assessment, including possible temporary deferral for high-risk sexual activity.

Iceland's Blood Bank says the transition to new blood-donation rules has gone smoothly since the regulation took effect at the beginning of the month.

The regulation introduces common rules for all donors, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Ína Björg Hjálmarsdóttir, a department manager at the Blood Bank, said people had responded well to the change.

"This has gone very well, and everyone has been very understanding that this is new for everyone. We have received a good response from those who have come," she said.

The rules define high-risk sexual activity using criteria that apply equally to everyone. Such activity can lead to a temporary deferral because of the risk of infectious disease. Whether a person can donate therefore depends on an individual risk assessment, rather than on the group to which that person belongs.

This has gone very well, and everyone has been very understanding that this is new for everyone. We have received a good response from those who have come.

· Ína Björg HjálmarsdóttirA Blood Bank department manager described the response to Iceland's new donor rules.
About this summary

Originally published by Morgunblaðið in Icelandic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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